| | November 2022MANAGEHRMAGAZINE.COM9As employers build their incentive programs, they will require a method and a system to track and monitor these factors. Motivate programs are voluntary to the employee. While employers may ask employees to provide proof of vaccination, they should not seek supporting documentation to "opt out" of a voluntary program.3. EducateEmployee vaccine education programs require the least amount of monitoring and data collection. In pure education programs, employers provide information and resources to employees and leave the vaccine decision to the employee. In some cases, employers may still seek employee proof of the vaccine. In that case, the employer will need a resource or mechanism to track and store the employees' vaccine records.Technology and Employer Vaccine ProgramsThere are at least four categories of vaccine program management solutions available to employers: 1. Vaccine Tracking SoftwareVaccine management software has been available to healthcare providers and employers for many years. These programs offer employers an array of functionality generally including employee compliance status, medical surveillance, virus exposures, real-time injuries and illnesses tracking, and employee certifications. Vaccination medical management programs are designed to assist employers (and healthcare providers) with the administration of vaccinations (among other things). Oftentimes, these programs offer an interface with HR systems.2. Risk Management ProgramsRisk management software solutions have been available to employers for decades. Risk technology platforms generally provide claims/incident reporting/tracking, document/recordkeeping, mobile incident intake, certification management, disaster recovery management, and related dashboards/reporting. Many of these risk services platforms have expanded their offerings and added COVID-19 modules. The expanded capabilities enable employers to manage, monitor, and track employees' vaccination status including booster dose. It also allows employers to record employees who are not able to receive or elect to opt-out of the vaccine. Likewise, many of these platforms offer outbreak tracking including alerts when employers reach certain thresholds.3. Payroll/HRISWhile most payroll/HRIS systems are not designed to be employee medical management systems, many programs offer customizable features that may allow an employer to implement some basic tracking. For example, the EEOC has cleared the way for employers to ask employees for proof of vaccination. An employer may work with its payroll/HRIS provider to identify a feature of the software that it may customize to note an employee's vaccination. While this approach may be financially attractive, it may not allow employers to report on their employee vaccination status, track those who cannot receive or opt out of the vaccine, and may not provide a convenient "at a glance" dashboard.4. Manual Methods Such as Spreadsheets or "Home Grown" DatabasesIn many cases, an employer will not have significant or complex data to manage ­ either because they adopt a simplified vaccination program or have a smaller employee population. In those cases, employers may choose to track employee vaccinations through spreadsheets, or a database built through an existing software platform. Confidential Medical InformationEmployers implementing vaccination programs may receive confidential employee medical information. Employers must be sure that all employee medical information is secured retained separately from the personnel file, and only those who "need to know" have access to the information. Human resources must work closely with their technology team to ensure that system and record access is secured and trackable. Employees who do not have a "need to know" should not have access to the employee medical information stored in the software system. HR should be able to monitor access to the electronic employee medical documents. One Size Does Not Fit AllThe right solution for each employer will largely depend on at least three things including the:1. Employer's industry2. Number of employees3. Complexity of the employers' vaccination programThere are a number of subject matter experts to assist employers with these decisions including their insurance brokers, technology SMEs, and industry associations. Software programs providing dashboards and reporting will be a key component to a successful mandatory program most especially for larger employers
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